


I Guess I Miss You

by amanderrpanderr



Category: IT - Stephen King
Genre: Ben/Bev mentioned, Bill/Audra mentioned, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-11
Updated: 2020-05-11
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:08:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,110
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24118525
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amanderrpanderr/pseuds/amanderrpanderr
Summary: Five years after defeating IT, Richie Tozier goes back to Derry for a final time.
Relationships: Richie Tozier/Eddie Kaspbrak, Richie Tozier/OC
Comments: 1
Kudos: 13





	I Guess I Miss You

“Hey Eddie….”

It was the first time he’d stepped into Derry in over five years. He had fought back and forth with himself about coming back to his old town for a few months now. 

It seemed after their second battle against IT, Derry had begun to decay. The areas surrounding downtown Derry have more vacant houses than full. His old house, which he passes by quickly, is even boarded up. Stores were closed, parks were empty, and there were barely anyone walking the streets. 

Derry was dying.

The Kissing Bridge had stayed pretty much intact, unlike most of the rest of the town. This was good for me, it was the only spot in Derry he really wanted to visit. Richie had decided to book a hotel room a few towns over. The less time he’d have to spend in Derry the better. Sure it was probably the safest it had ever been (you’re welcome town!). But without the rest of the losers, Richie had felt vulnerable. 

He had contemplated asking his friends to come with him. Ultimately, he didn’t even tell them he was going. They had too much going on. Despite their restless lives, Richie knew they would have dropped everything to come with him if he’d ask. 

But he figured it was better to do this alone. It was one of the only secrets he had still kept from his friends. 

“It’s been awhile,” he says as he traces his fingers along the R+E carving, “Five years since you’ve been gone. Sorry it took so long to visit”.

Of course, there is no answer. Richie sits down next to his carving, leaning his back against the bridge, “And I guess it really doesn’t make sense to do this here. But this is better,” he continues, “Because I...I can’t go back there”.

Richie couldn’t bring himself to drive by Neilbolt. The house had collapsed seconds after he and the losers made their escape. They had had to drag him out, kicking and screaming, as he attempted to get back to Eddie. Going back to that place, especially alone, would have not been good for his mental health. Hell, he wasn’t even sure if coming back at all was. 

“You’ve missed a shit ton of stuff”.

Despite being all in different places, they had all made it a point to see each other at least twice a year. Usually they would get together around the time of the final encounter. They had pushed back this year due to Bill. He hadn’t felt comfortable leaving her so close to the due date. 

“Ben and Beverly got married, fucking finally! I was actually the best man at their wedding. They’ve got two kids now; Clare and Ethan.”

Besides being best man, he is Clare’s godfather. Beverly and Ben had moved to California shortly before their daughter’s birth, so they were pretty close to Richie. 

“Bill’s written like three books in the last couple years. One of them got made into a movie, gonna be released next spring. He and his wife are also expecting their first kid in a couple weeks”.

He remembers Bill phoning him a few months ago to tell him the news.

“It’s going to be a b-boy!” Bill had told him, practically screaming at Richie over the phone, “Nicholas George Denbrough!”

“Way to go Big Bill,” Richie congratulated, rubbing his ear. 

Richie had never been particularly fond of kids. He had no plans of having any of his own. But he had to admit, he had a real soft spot for the newest additions to the loser’s club. 

“Mike got married last year. He’s in Florida now, poor bastard. But his wife is super cool. It’s a shame you never got to meet her”. 

That only left him.

“As for me, I’ve been taking a page from Bill’s book,” he says, abstintley plucking out some of the grass, “I started writing a lot more. Lots of new material for my stand up”.

It had taken him about a year and a half after the events of five years ago to do stand up again. Part of the reason was he was not in the right headspace after Eddie’s death. The other was he wanted his stand up to feel more authentic to himself. So he decided to strictly perform his own comedy. It had really paid off in the end. The reception for his new stuff had been positive. 

But embracing himself, in work and in life, wasn’t the only new change for Richie, “And,” there is a pause, “ I’ve met someone. His name is Dan”. 

When he had come out to his friends a couple years ago, they had been nothing but supportive. Ben had been pushing him for a while to put himself out there. Even attempted to be Richie’s wingman a few times, which had been quite hilarious to witness. But the results hadn’t been very successful. Then Ben had suggested online. Richie hadn’t been super ecstatic about it. But in the end, he had found Dan. And almost seven months into the relationship, Richie had found himself happy. Happier than he had been in a longtime. 

“He’s a great guy, you would have really liked him,” Richie gushes, feeling his face get a little hot, “He’s an accountant, boring I know. But he likes to travel and play video games and he laughs real hard at my jokes. A keeper for sure if he can stand my shit,” he adds with a laugh. 

They had recently said their first ‘I love you’ to each other. It had actually been Richie who had said it first. A shock for him and Dan. But luckily, his boyfriend had reciprocated. 

“I’m happy Eddie. Really, really happy,” despite the words, his shaking a little, “Because if it wasn’t for you- shit I’d be dead”. When his glasses begin to fog up, he realizes he’s crying, “You should have gotten a lot more years Eds. We should have gotten a lot more years together but we can’t and it fucking sucks!” 

He slams a part of the bridge with his fist.

Loud sigh. 

“I guess I miss you”. 

Richie sits in silence for a few minutes. Moving only to rub his eyes with the end of his jacket, “I love you Eddie,” he says softly. He kisses the ends of his fingers, then places them over the carving, “Goodbye. Wherever you are, I hope you and Stan are having a good time ”. 

He places a hand on the carving for another moment before heading to his car. And for the final time, he leaves Derry.


End file.
